


Curiosity Killed The...

by Mistystarshine



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: F/M, but some are better at expressing them than others, mentions of Akira Mado, people have Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-30 22:23:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10886130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistystarshine/pseuds/Mistystarshine
Summary: While Hinami is getting ready to leave :re, Ayato finds her packing something unusual. He has questions.





	Curiosity Killed The...

**Author's Note:**

> I loved chapter 121, but where was Maris Stella? Since I'm going to be writing a longer Ayahina piece but have never written either character before, I decided to quickly whip something up as practice and answer that question at the same time.

Hinami pensively eyed the pet carrier on the table in front of her. It was an old thing and, unfortunately, the best they could manage at the moment. While it looked like it would be able to hold up for a while, there was a chance that she would need more than _a while_. She also had to wonder how comfortable it would be. The towels she had lined the bottom with may not be enough. With a sigh, she looked down at the feline in her arms. "What do you think?"

The cat responded with a rusty purr. However, another sound soon drew her attention away. She could hear someone approaching. The thing about footsteps was that everyone's sounded a little different. These ones were determined and light, yet somewhat erratic in rhythm. They were familiar. A small smile touched her lips. When she looked over her shoulder, it was less to confirm what she already knew and more to let him know that she knew he was there. "Ayato," she greeted.

He briefly raised his hand in reply rather than speaking. Closer and closer he drew. When he was by her side, he gazed down at the animal in her arms. His normally cool expression twitched with mild befuddlement. "Where did you get that thing?" he asked. Said 'thing' lifted her head to stare at him with wide, penetrating, judgemental eyes.

Awareness was a large part of her life. She was aware of the warmth of Ayato's arm, only inches away from hers. It was a feeling she was used to. If he came closer, she knew a tingling sensation would join it. Familiar sensations could still make her stomach tighten and breath shallower. That said, _unfamiliar_ sensations demanded her attention sooner. When Maris Stella stiffened in her arms, she noticed immediately. Hinami stepped toward the carrier to start maneuvering the cat inside. The additional distance was not enough to keep her from growling at this _shady intruder_.

"I met with Akira, Touka and me." Her current task made her words a little rushed. Maris Stella got inside the carrier without much trouble, but getting her to _stay_ inside while she closed the door was proving to be something of a task. On the bright side, she had stopped growling while she put her in. She hoped that it didn't make it easier for Ayato to catch the way her voice still managed to hitch a little. "It was..." _Hard. Painful. Neither of us will ever get them back. Hopeful._  "Things are changing." A moment of hesitation on the cat's part allowed her to close and lock the door with a satisfying _shling_.

He hesitated a moment before nodding. "I see. That's... good," he said. They were simple words. That was something she had noticed about Ayato. When it came to anger or posturing, he was filled to the brim with loud words and bold actions. If someone he cared about was in trouble, he didn't hesitate, for it tied all too easily into anger. During softer moments, he struggled for words. Reassurance made him hesitate where accusations easily flew past his lips. To say that he wasn't always great at expressing himself was an understatement. That didn't mean that the feelings he was struggling to get across weren't _there_. When she turned around to look him in the eyes, she couldn't mistake what she saw in there for anything but pride.

Silence filled the air. Once more she noticed the warmth in the space between them, which felt like it had shrunken between this moment and the last. That odd tingle began to dance across her skin.

The moment was promptly shattered by a deep growl.

Maris Stella had moved back to the front of the carrier and was staring _directly_ at Ayato. He lifted an eyebrow at her. When the growling continued, he took half a step closer. She responded by hissing and puffing out her fur. He made a disgruntled noise and turned around. Gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb, he said, "doesn't explain the demon cat though." As if she knew she had been insulted, Maris Stella's growl increased by an octave. Ayato glanced back at her to narrow his eyes.

Hinami knew it would be rude to laugh at them. She smiled a little anyway. (Had he noticed when her smile had slipped in the first place?) If it weren't for the lingering melancholy the topic of Akira filled her with, she probably wouldn't have been able to restrain a giggle. "Akira had to leave," she said. She didn't say _why_  because he didn't need to be told. It wasn't their business. Therefore, when she found out, she didn’t ask. She still had some idea. What were the odds that her presence made that woman feel things similar to what Hinami herself was feeling? To have your entire life shaken on top of that would be excruciating. It was that knowledge which had prompted her to hug her despite her own heartache. Support was necessary in order to heal. Sometimes, distance was also needed. "Since she couldn't take Maris Stella, I offered." She moved closer to the carrier to stick a finger through the bars. Maris Stella stopped growling at Ayato in order to sniff it. After a moment of inspection, she rubbed her face against it. She wiggled her finger against her cheek, generating a purr. "Also, I don't think she's a demon cat. She's been a sweetheart to me. Maybe you smell like dog, Ayato." Her smile became a little easier to maintain when she looked over at him.

No amount of time would ever make the loss of their parents stop hurting. Experience had already taught her that the passing years would make the sting less sharp, but the ache would always be there. There _was_  a chance for the relationship between them to heal though. She wanted that. Someday, she wanted to be able to look at the woman so important to Kaneki _without_  feeling her throat tighten. It was the least she could do for the man who was like her brother. In a way, it was for herself as well. Taking care of her cat might be an odd way to encourage the healing process, but she thought it had merit. Hopefully, Goat being forced to become nomadic wouldn't cause too much trouble.

Ayato looked at her, at the cat, then shooked his head and scoffed. "Whatever. As long as it doesn't cause us too much trouble."

Hinami froze. _Us?_  She hadn't confirmed who she would be traveling with, but a part of her _had_ wondered. Was he asking...? Hesitantly, she pulled away from the cage and looked him in the eyes once again. _There_. She saw a flicker of nervousness, anticipation, and excitement. So it was what she had thought, then. It was an unconventional way of asking her to travel with him. That meant she could give an unconventional answer.

This time, her smile was wide and came easily. "I'm sure she'll warm up to you."

He smiled back.


End file.
